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Memory

1886–87, revised 1909; carved 1917–19
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 700
For nearly fifty years, French included the allegorical female form in both his private and his public commissions. His involvement with Memory spanned over three decades, from his initial clay sketch of 1886 to the exhibition of this enlarged marble in 1919. The sculptor focused on conveying life’s transience through symbolism: the motif of the mirror as well as the work’s title suggests that the figure (and, by analogy, the viewer) is ruminating on the ephemeral nature of beauty, youth, and life. Memory was translated into Carrara marble by Piccirilli Brothers, the Bronx, New York, family firm responsible for carving many of French’s sculptures.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Memory
  • Artist: Daniel Chester French (American, Exeter, New Hampshire 1850–1931 Stockbridge, Massachusetts)
  • Carver: Carved by Piccirilli Brothers Marble Carving Studio (active 1893–1946)
  • Date: 1886–87, revised 1909; carved 1917–19
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Marble
  • Dimensions: 57 1/2 x 25 x 42 1/2 in. (146.1 x 63.5 x 108 cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Henry Walters, 1919
  • Object Number: 19.47
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

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Spirit of the Waters, Daniel Chester French American, Bronze, American
Spirit of the Waters
Daniel Chester French
Gorham Manufacturing Company
1913; cast 1931 or after
Mrs. Edward Clark Potter (nee May Dumont)
Daniel Chester French
1894
Bashford Dean Memorial Tablet, Daniel Chester French American, Bronze, American, New York
Bashford Dean Memorial Tablet
Multiple artists/makers
1930
Study for the Head of The Melvin Memorial, Daniel Chester French American, Bronze, American
Study for the Head of The Melvin Memorial
Daniel Chester French
John Williams
1907; cast before 1914
Joe's Farewell, Daniel Chester French American, Parian porcelain, American
Joe's Farewell
Daniel Chester French
1872–73

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